Higher education

Millville grad Surace building up Princeton's program

Oct. 3, 2013

Princeton University football head coach Bob Surace is seen on the field following a win over Harvard last season. Surace, a Millville native, is in his fourth year as the coach of the Tigers. / Photo courtesy Princeton University/Beverly Schaef

Princeton University football head coach Bob Surace, a Millville native, is in his fourth year with the Tigers. / Photo Courtesy Princeton University/Beverly Schaef

The first is Millville, where he grew up and was a standout for the Thunderbolts’ high school football team before graduating in 1986.

The second place is Princeton University, where he was an All-Ivy League center before embarking on a coaching career that led him right back to the distinguished institution. It’s at Princeton where Surace, the oldest son of longtime Millville coach, teacher and athletic director Tony Surace, has been the head coach for the last four years and the leader of a program that played in the first college football game in 1869.

“I read the stories about (Millville native Mike Trout) and his dad (Jeff) was one of my heroes growing up,” Bob Surace said. “You’ve got that home and there’s a sense of pride. Every week there’s different guys texting me from Millville, ‘T-Bolt pride, good luck.’ ”

About 70 miles north sits the other place Surace identifies most with in Princeton.

“This is where I was fortunate enough to play my college football and get an unbelievable education,” Surace said. “This place is just a wonderful place.”

The top rivalry on Surace’s mind in high school was Millville vs. Vineland. Now, it’s Princeton vs. Harvard and Yale. And Surace’s team actually swept that series in 2012 for the first time since 2006, earning an on-campus bonfire, as per school tradition.

“We’re humbled by it, to have him come back and be able to coach at his alma mater, it’s renowned as one of the best schools in the country, and the tradition dates back to the early days,” Tony Surace said.

Bob also spent six years with the Cincinnati Bengals as an assistant offensive line coach and was the head coach at Western Connecticut State University before returning to Princeton. He said the bright lights and luster of the NFL were no match for the prospect of coaching the Tigers. In fact, Surace said he and his wife, Lisa, were happy at WCU.

“I don’t get the Princeton job at Western Connecticut,” Surace said. “If I’m at the NFL, I’ll at least get an interview, and that sold her.”

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It was connections through Princeton, playing with Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and his two brothers that landed Surace the interview in Cincinnati. And as great of an opportunity as it was, the goal always was to return to New Jersey.

“The Bengals organization was wonderful,” Surace said. “But the desire was to be here. In 1990, when I graduated and began my trek into coaching, I wanted to come back here.”

Surace began his coaching career as running backs coach at Springfield (Mass.) College. He was an assistant with the short-lived Canadian Football League team, the Shreveport (La.) Pirates, then went to Western Connecticut.

At Princeton, Surace went 1-9 in his first and second seasons. Then, in 2012, his team went 5-5 and had a shot at the Ivy League title. This year, his Tigers are 1-1 and host Columbia Saturday at 1 p.m.

The progress made under Surace is impressive.

“We’re now a team that competes week-in and week-out,” Surace said.

Surace is quick to dismiss the notion his players aren’t as tough as those at other schools.

“I think players, when I was being recruited by Princeton, and it’s no different now, people think they’re soft, they wear sweaters to class,” Surace said. “And it’s wrong. We bring our lunch pails and hard hats and we practice hard.”

Surace said players at Princeton simply have more balance in their lives, juggling academics and activities on top of the rigors of Division I football.

The white-collar ambiance of Princeton also is dropped as soon as his players step onto the field.

“When we’re at practice, we’ve got lunch pails and hard hats,” Surace said. “It’s the way Millville people work and the way Princeton people work. If you’re going to play football for me, you’re not taking shortcuts.”

And Surace isn’t the only Millville native in charge of a college program. In fact, he’s not the only Surace. Brother Brian is the head coach at Fairleigh Dickinson.

“I look back and they both had passion from the time they were very young,” father Tony Surace said. “I’m coaching, I’m teaching at the school. From a very young age, they grew up around the team, they rode the bus with the team. They grew up around it, but no, you don’t think they’re going into coaching.”

Both Bob and Brian played linebacker and center at Millville and both went to Princeton and played center. Brian ended up graduating from Gettysburg, but he also began his coaching career at Springfield before taking over the program at FDU three years ago.

But through the years and different schools, the loyalty of the Surace family hasn’t changed, it’s simply widened.

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